Safety-bridge for railroad-cars.



N0. 633,639. I Patented Sept. 26, I899. W. R. CUNNELL.

SAFETY BRIDGE FOB RAILROAD CARS.

(Applicafiion filed July 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY-BRIDGE FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 633,639, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed July 20, 1899.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM R. CONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of lVeakley and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Bridges for Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for its object to provide a safety-bridge for freight-cars which forms a continuation of the usual runningboard upon the roof of said car, thereby forming a platform or bridge between the adjacent ends of the cars to prevent the falling of trainmen from between the cars to the track belowand the loss of life and limb consequent upon such fall.

The invention therefore consists in a safetybridge constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view showing the adjacent ends of two freightcars, said cars being uncoupled and separated to more clearly show the two platforms and their connections which form the safetybridge when the cars are coupled. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the two cars coupled and the two platforms in connection with each other; Fig. 3, a detail plan view, partly in broken section, showing the platform and its connecting parts.

In the accompanying drawings, A B represent the two adjacent cars of a freight-train which are of the usual construction, and upon the top of these cars are the usual runningboards 0, provided with the transverse board a at its end. The running-boards C at their ends rest upon skeleton frames D, which form supports for the ends of the runningboards, said frames being of any suitable and preferred construction. Upon the inner sides Serial No. 724,543. (No model.)

of the frame D are suitable guide-tracks E, with which engage rollers b upon the inner ends of platforms F, said platforms extending out from the end of the cars and when together, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, form a safety-bridge for the trainmen to pass from the roof of one car to the other. The outer ends of the platforms F are provided with brace-plates c and are connected through said plates to the ends of the cars by means of flat springs G, thereby forming not only a safety-bridge when the two platforms are together, but buffers to prevent injury thereto when the platforms strike each other or the ends of the cars violently come together. A very simple and effective safety -bridge is thereby provided which will prevent the possibility of injury by the trainmen falling between the cars when passing from one car to another, the bridge always being in readiness and in position to form a platform connection between the ends of the cars.

The guide-tracks and rollers provide a very effective means of guiding the platform in its movement back or forth, while the springs always bring the platform to its normal position as well as serving as a buffer.

Having now fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a safety-bridge for railroad-cars, a suitable platform slidable upon the roof of the car and provided with rollers engaging grooved guide-rails, a brace-plate upon the outer end of the platform and hat springs con nected to the platform and plate and to the end of the car, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM R. CONNELL.

IVitnesses:

B. A. STEWART, M. L. WATSON. 

